Renowned former Indian cricket opener, Gautam Gambhir, recently unveiled his much-anticipated selection for India’s ICC World Cup 2023 contingent, causing quite a stir in the cricketing community. Gambhir’s choices raised eyebrows, as both seasoned campaigner Shreyas Iyer and the promising Shardul Thakur were conspicuously absent from his roster.
In an unexpected twist, Gambhir opted for the versatile all-rounder Washington Sundar and speedster Prasidh Krishna, bolstering India’s fast bowling arsenal. In the batting department, Gambhir endorsed the explosive talent of Suryakumar Yadav and designated KL Rahul as the secondary wicket-keeper, complementing Ishan Kishan, who emerged as the frontrunner for the pivotal wicket-keeper position.
During a candid discussion on Star Sports, Gambhir selected a star-studded batting lineup comprising Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, and KL Rahul. Notably, Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma were omitted from the squad.
The presence of KL Rahul affords India the flexibility to introduce an additional batter as per match requirements. In the all-rounder category, Gambhir nominated the formidable quartet of Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, and Washington Sundar. Kuldeep Yadav was the third-choice spin bowler in the squad.
The fast bowling department featured stalwarts Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Mohammed Shami. However, the wildcard selection of Prasidh Krishna, returning from injury and making a compelling comeback against Ireland, left cricket aficionados intrigued. Meanwhile, Shardul Thakur faced exclusion from the squad.
Gautam Gambhir’s line-up for India’s ICC World Cup 2023 campaign stands as follows: Captain Rohit Sharma leads a formidable unit comprising Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Shami.
This audacious selection by Gambhir has ignited fervent debates within the cricketing fraternity, setting the stage for an intriguing World Cup spectacle.
